The Real Witches’ Handbook: The Definitive Handbook of Advanced Magical Techniques. Kate West

wood, stone, pottery or other materials. Each rune has a different symbol on it and it is the interpretation of the combinations of symbols which gives the starting-point for the reading. Most rune sets are Norse in origin and their meaning can seem somewhat obscure unless you are familiar with Nordic traditions and their historic context.

      

Crystal ball In this form of divination a sphere or rounded shape of glass, crystal or other gemstone is used. The reader does not see images as such in the ball, but uses it to focus their inner mind on the person or question in front of them.

      

Palmistry Palm readers interpret the lines on both hands to determine the character and/or future of the person who seeks the reading. Palmistry is particularly good for identifying skills and talents, whether inborn or acquired.

      

Dowsing For dowsing, various tools, including sticks, metal rods and pendulums, are used, usually to locate something, either in the ground or sometimes on a map. The most frequent use of dowsing is to locate water and many dowsers are employed by local water companies or farmers for this purpose.

      

Tea-leaves Reading tea-leaves is a very old skill, which has largely died out since the tea bag has become popular. For a reading, tea is made in a pot. It is not strained and once a cup of it has been drunk, the residue left in the cup is used to make an interpretation of events, usually forthcoming. Tea-leaf readings are still as valid a method today as they have ever been, even if the skill of drinking unstrained tea has been largely lost!

      

Astrology Astrology is not simply another method of divination or scrying, although it can be used to predict events. True astrology, rather than the horoscopes you see in the papers, which deal only with generalizations regarding Sun signs, is both a science and an art. The science lies in calculating the positions of all of the planets at the time of birth. The information thus gathered is put together in what is known as a natal chart. The art lies in interpreting the chart to give an accurate picture of the personality, skills and abilities of the person concerned. When done skilfully, this enables the subject to gain self-understanding and the ability to maximize their potential. Like other methods of divination, the practice of astrology is not limited to Witches – people from many belief systems use such techniques.

      

Psychic readings All those who divine, or ‘read’, are to a greater or lesser extent psychic, but a psychic reader generally does not use any of the tools of divination to aid them in their reading. A clairvoyant is another term for a psychic reader. The word ‘clairvoyant’ simply means ‘to see clearly’. sychics should not be confused with mediums, who are those who use contacts in the spirit world to obtain their information. This is not a form of scrying or divination. Whilst a person may be both a psychic and a medium, the two skills are different. Witches do not believe that it is right to summon back the spirits of those who have gone before, whether to tell the future or for any other reason.

      Witches may use any of the above techniques of scrying or they may use methods which are less known outside the Craft:

      

The Dark Mirror This can be either a watch glass coated with soot (although many Witches prefer to use the rather less messy medium of paint) or a bowl of water into which black dye or ink has been added. In both cases the resulting black reflective surface is used in much the same way as a crystal ball.

      

Fire Here either the flames themselves are consulted or in some cases the hot embers are used. In the days when living fires (and large fireplaces) were common, many Witches would leave a piece of wood or corn from the harvest in the fireplace close to the flames. This would burn slowly overnight and the ashes would be interpreted next morning.

      

The Witches’ runes Unlike the runes themselves, which are comprised of 20 or so pieces, the Witches’ runes have only eight pieces and the symbols on them are more pictorial. Their interpretation, whilst initially simpler, requires a greater study of the Craft.

      There are many other methods of divination in use today, from the interpretation of the residue in a beer glass to some very costly kits and card decks sold in stores around the world. In actual fact almost anything can be used for scrying. The secret is to find the method which suits you and your pocket. Not everyone finds every method easy to master and most people try several before deciding on the one they feel at home with. It is also important to remember that expensive is not necessarily better. You can spend a seriously large amount of money on a tarot deck, but it will not give you a better reading than a cheap one, and quite often the runes you make yourself will work better for you than the ones which came in a velvet pouch with a special reading board and cloth.

      REINCARNATION AND THE SUMMERLANDS

      Witches believe in reincarnation, that we return to this world many times over. We also believe that after death we move firstly to the Summerlands, a place where we may rest and become renewed. In the Summerlands we may be able to meet those we have loved who have gone before us and we can choose the lessons that we will learn in our next life.

      However, belief in reincarnation does not allow us to be complacent about the life we are currently living. You can neither blame your current problems on things that may or may not have happened in a previous existence, nor can you simply postpone dealing with current problems in the hope that next time around things will be better. Whether you believe in reincarnation or not, one thing is certain: you will only get one chance at this life and it is up to you to make the best of it. This is something which needs to be borne in mind should you feel the temptation to explore your past lives, whether through meditation or any other technique. Whilst there are often many interesting or useful things that can be learned from past-life recall, a few people do find the subject so fascinating that they neglect to make the most of their current life. As with all things, balance should be sought.

       THREE MOON WORSHIP?

      As addressed earlier, one of the misconceptions about the Craft is that Witches worship the Moon. This is not so, though the Moon is significant to Witches because the phases of the Moon represent the aspects of the Goddess and because her consort, the God, is always with her. Witches utilize those phases in their worship and their working by timing their rituals and Magic to coincide with the phases of the Moon to which they will be most attuned.

      The Moon orbits the Earth, taking just over 28 days to complete its circuit. Whilst this happens the Earth orbits the Sun, taking just over 365 days to complete its circuit, and the Earth rotates on its own axis once every 24 or so hours. Bear in mind that none of these figures is precise. Time is an invention of man, not a natural or scientific law, and was created out of the need to explain these natural phenomena. As a result of all these movements, the Moon we see from Earth rises and sets at different times and in different parts of the sky and because of the relative positions of the Sun, Moon and Earth, it appears to change its shape. It waxes from a thin crescent to full circle, then wanes to a thin crescent again and finally disappears from the sky altogether for a few days before repeating